


Unlicensed Magic

by e_cat



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: M/M, Magic AU, Modern Witch AU, at least half of it isn't weird, far too much exposition for such a short fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-13 06:17:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12977877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/e_cat/pseuds/e_cat
Summary: After years of hiding, Neil has finally decided to apply for a magic license, only to be placed in the remedial magic education class. At least his classmates are starting to grow on him.





	Unlicensed Magic

**Author's Note:**

> AFTG Winter Exchange for @glkprminyard.

Neil did not think it was very fair that he’d been placed in the remedial magic class. Yes, he had only used a wand a few times over the last decade, and yes, his last wand had been snapped in half and tossed into lapping flames on a promise to his dying mother. But that didn’t mean that Neil didn’t know what he was doing. He wasn’t some careless kid who couldn’t keep track of his wand, and he did not deserve to be treated like one.

But this was just lingering bitterness. Truth be told, in the time since magic had lured Neil back, since he’d taken the risk of applying for a magic license under his fake identity and been shunted into this class of witches who weren’t expected to show any talent, he’d actually come to like them.

Dan, the teacher’s assistant, was in charge of wrangling the class in all the ways that the instructor, Wymack, didn’t want to deal with. She was a natural leader and a decent witch, clearly cared deeply about her fellow students, and she was only here because she’d spent her high school years selling magic on the black market as a way to feed her family. Her boyfriend, Matt, had struggled with an addiction to some potion (Neil hadn’t thought to ask which one) in the past, and still scars from the magic. The two of them spent most of their time with Renee, who had a strangely serene aura to go with the list of magic infractions she’d racked up, and Allison, whose magical talents had been dampened by her parents’ anti-magic attitude. Seth rounded out their group, when he bothered to show up; Neil hadn’t gotten his story yet, aside from his anger at the world.

Opposite Dan’s group was Andrew’s. Kevin, formerly renowned for his magic abilities, had had his ability to cast spells severely impaired by some sort of accident – or so the word was; Neil had seen too many “accidents” cast by his father to believe in one at face value, especially with so few details. Kevin, meanwhile, was fighting hard to get his magic license reinstated, making potions where he might have once cast a spell, and generally telling all the rest of them that they were doing everything wrong.

That didn’t seem to bother Nicky, who like Allison had had his magic discouraged by his parents. He seemed oddly proud of it, though, and had told Neil early on about how he’d learned to embrace his magic with the help of his (also discouraged) boyfriend, Erik. No one was quite as open as Nicky, but Neil had eventually learned that Aaron’s upbringing hadn’t done much for his magic, either, though this was mostly because his mother didn’t bother to teach him or direct him to anyone who could. Meanwhile, his twin, Andrew, had grown up in too many nonmagical foster homes before anyone noticed that he had any magical ability at all.

Andrew was interesting, actually. From what Neil had gleaned, Andrew actually had a fair amount of natural talent with magic. He probably could have taken a higher-level licensing class, or maybe even gone straight to his test. The problem was, if you asked Andrew to demonstrate a spell, even one he’d executed flawlessly before, he was more likely to stare at you than he was to actually do it. Neil was both fascinated and frustrated by it.

“I can nearly hear all of the pointless things you are thinking about,” Andrew said, pulling Neil from reflection. This was not the first time they’d run into each other in the magic studio after hours – Neil because he’d grown too accustomed to sleeping places that couldn’t be called home, and Andrew because he apparently counted breaking-and-entering among his hobbies. But these encounters had seemed to take on a different tone as of late, and Neil found himself spending more consecutive nights here than he would have ever thought he’d dare, just on the off-chance that he’d meet Andrew.

“You know, you’d have to actually put some effort into a potion if you wanted that,” Neil replied now. Andrew might have been talented, but magic with the intention of reading thoughts would require more effort than Andrew had ever shown an inclination to give.

Andrew flicked him a disinterested glance and held a cigarette over the potion he _had_ brewed at the exact right moment to catch the spurt of flames it gave off – and, more impressively, avoid spoiling his cigarette with the toxic fumes before and after. With a flick of his wrist and not a whisper of incantation, Andrew vanished the potion, vial and all. Neil was badly, badly impressed.  
Andrew put the cigarette to his mouth. “That is absolutely not what I want.”

Neil grinned. He’d always hated the lineage of this grin, the one where you know you’re about to have the upper hand, but it felt different with Andrew. Untainted. He said, “If that were true, you wouldn’t talk to me at all.”

Andrew stared without content: a glare, except that he didn’t bother to make it one. Neil had come to know that look well over these past months. The cigarette was dangling loosely from Andrew’s fingers, so Neil stole it away from him. He took the smallest of inhales and blew the smoke back out over Andrew’s face. He could feel something giddy and triumphant bubbling inside him, and his mother had always warned against distractions and things that felt good, but oh, oh, it felt _so_ good.

With a snap of Andrew’s fingers, the cigarette was put out. Neil reluctantly handed it back to Andrew, who immediately dropped it onto the floor; he didn’t care if anyone knew he’d been here after hours. He crooked two fingers and headed for the door.

Neil scrambled after him. This was something they hadn’t done before. Before, Andrew had gotten bored and left on his own, but he’d never invited Neil along, and so Neil had never followed. There was a tiny thrill of fear or anticipation in this new development.

Andrew led them outside, past the parking lot to a lumpy shape under a tarp that had been there as long as Neil could recall. Andrew tore off the tarp and the few patches of snow and ice clinging to it to reveal – a sleigh. “Did you know that the incantation is not specific to brooms?” he said.

Neil understood what he meant immediately, but he wasn’t sure what to do with it. They’d had a short spiel on broomstick flying from Wymack, mostly focusing on the fact that they’d need a separate permit to fly one. That didn’t much stop people from messing around from time to time, but when Nicky had suggested that the group of them find some broomsticks on a Friday night, Andrew had shot the idea down without even speaking. Disbelieving, Neil asked, “Did you enchant it?”

Andrew inclined his head affirmatively. His fingers were gripped white on the edge of the sleigh, but there was no hint of any other emotion. He said, “I haven’t tested it.”

Neil nodded slowly, feeling oddly like Andrew was telling him something more than the words he’d spoken. “Might as well wait a couple weeks,” he replied, watching Andrew’s face carefully. “It won’t look so strange on Christmas Eve.”

Andrew’s fingers loosened. “No reindeer,” he commented.

“We can get some,” Neil assured him.

Andrew gave him the look again. “I will find us something more interesting to do.”

Neil replied with the grin. “Secret Santa?”

“I would think you’d be better with secrets,” Andrew said. “There are only two of us.”

And that was true, but Andrew already knew more of Neil’s secrets than he’d ever spoken to anyone else. Not all of them, but some part of Neil could imagine this game of theirs going on for years, until finally Andrew knew everything. Until finally Andrew knew more truths than lies.

It wasn’t a lie when Neil said, “That’s all right. I don’t mind you knowing.”


End file.
